Air-classified faba bean protein fraction as a substitute to soybean meal in pelleted and extruded broiler diets.

1. The hypothesis that air-classified faba bean protein fraction (FBP) can replace soybean meal (SBM) in pelleted or extruded broiler diets without adverse effect on performance or nutrient digestibility was tested.2. At 17 d of age, male broilers were randomly distriibuted among four dietary treatments consisting of either SBM or FBP (main dietary protein source) and pelleting or extrusion as processing methods. Treatments had 10 replicate pens containing five birds each.3. Compared to SBM, birds fed FBP had significantly lower feed intake, less weight gain and had poorer feed conversion.4. Pellet durability was high (above 92%) for all diets. In pelleted diets, FBP was harder than SBM whereas extruded diets had similar hardness. Pelleting increased water stability compared to extrusion. FBP diets were more water stable than the SBM diets.5. Gizzard content weight was 2.2-fold higher (P = 0.002) for birds given FBP compared to those fed SBM. The weight of the jejunum and ileum with contents was 1.4-fold lower for the FBP diets, and this effect was larger (P < 0.05) for the extruded FBP diet.6. Birds fed FBP diets had significantly higher nitrogen digestibility in the lower jejunum and ileum compared to those given SBM diets, while the starch digestibility coefficient was above 0.980 in all treatments.7. The high nutrient digestibility of FBP diets indicates that the poor performance of the FBP group was due to lower feed intake which was not explained by the differences in pellet durability or hardness. The reduced palatability of the FBP and the longer retention of the FBP diets in the upper gut are more likely to have depressed feed intake.

Interactions between starch source and gelatinisation degree on performance and small intestinal digestion in broiler chickens.

1. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test the hypothesis that, in pelleted diets, legume starch is digested less rapidly and to a lesser extent than cereal starch, and that increased gelatinisation through extrusion would eliminate the differences between the starch sources. In addition, the trial examined whether a lower ratio of starch to nitrogen disappearance rate (SNDR) could improve feed conversion ratio (FCR).2. At 17 d of age, male broilers were randomly distributed among four dietary treatments, consisting of either wheat or faba bean starch-rich fraction (FBS) as the sole starch source and pelleting or extrusion as processing methods. Each treatment had 10 replicate pens containing five birds each.3. Extrusion resulted in a more extensive starch gelatinisation compared to pelleting, as expected.4. No difference in weight gain at 29 d of age was observed between birds fed starch sources. However, birds fed wheat tended (P = 0.080) to have better FCR than those fed FBS, while the effect of processing methods was insignificant. Thus, there was no interaction between starch source and processing method on FCR.5. In pelleted diets, FBS had lower and slower starch digestibility compared to wheat in all intestinal segments (P < 0.05). The interaction between starch source and processing method in all intestinal segments (P < 0.001) demonstrated that FBS responded more to gelatinisation through extrusion than did wheat. Thus, differences in starch digestibility between the wheat and FBS were eliminated with extrusion.6. Feeding extruded diets significantly increased the upper jejunal expression of GLUT1, GLUT2 and SGLT1 compared to pelleted diets, which suggested that glucose absorption was less likely to be a limiting factor for starch utilisation.7. Pelleting resulted in a lower ratio (P < 0.001) of SNDR compared to extrusion (on average 1.4-fold) but did not improve FCR.

Increasing levels of rapeseed expeller meal in diets for pigs: effects on protein and energy metabolism.

The heavy reliance on imported soybean meal (SBM) as a protein source makes it necessary for the European pig industry to search for alternatives and to develop pigs that perform efficiently when fed such ingredients. Digestion and metabolism are major physiological processes contributing to variation in feed efficiency. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to assess the effects of replacing SBM with increasing levels of rapeseed meal (RSM) in diets for young pigs on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients, nitrogen (N) balance, energy metabolism and carbohydrate, protein and fat oxidation. Four diets were fed to 32 pigs (22.7±4.1 kg initial BW) for three weeks. The diets consisted of a control cereal grain-SBM basal diet and three test diets where SBM and wheat were partially replaced with 10%, 20%, and 30% of expeller RSM. Increasing level of RSM in the diets linearly reduced ATTD of organic matter, CP, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber and energy. Utilization of digested nitrogen (DN) for N retention and total N excretion were not affected by RSM inclusion, however, RSM inclusion induced a shift in N excretion from urine to feces. Despite a linear increase in liver to metabolic BW ratio, heat production and utilization of metabolizable energy (ME) for retention were not affected by increasing RSM inclusion. In conclusion, replacing SBM with up to 30% of expeller RSM in nutritionally balanced diets for young pigs reduced the ATTD of most nutrients and energy, but did not affect N and energy retention in the body or efficiency of utilization of DN or ME for retention.

Identification of redox imbalance as a prominent metabolic response elicited by rapeseed feeding in swine metabolome.

Rapeseed (RS) is an abundant and inexpensive source of energy and AA in diets for monogastrics and a sustainable alternative to soybean meal. It also contains diverse bioactive phytochemicals that could have antinutritional effects at high dose. When the RS-derived feed ingredients (RSF) are used in swine diets, the uptake of these nutrients and phytochemicals is expected to affect the metabolic system. In this study, 2 groups of young pigs (17.8 ± 2.7 kg initial BW) were equally fed a soybean meal-based control diet and an RSF-based diet, respectively, for 3 wk. Digesta, liver, and serum samples from these pigs were examined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis to determine the metabolic effects of the 2 diets. Analyses of digesta samples revealed that sinapine, sinapic acid, and gluconapin were robust exposure markers of RS. The distribution of free AA along the intestine of RSF pigs was consistent with the reduced apparent ileal digestibility of AA observed in these pigs. Despite its higher fiber content, the RSF diet did not affect microbial metabolites in the digesta, including short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. Analyses of the liver and serum samples revealed that RSF altered the levels of AA metabolites involved in the urea cycle and 1-carbon metabolism. More importantly, RSF increased the levels of multiple oxidized metabolites and aldehydes while decreased the levels of ascorbic acid and docosahexaenoic acid-containing lipids in the liver and serum, suggesting that RSF could disrupt redox balance in young pigs. Overall, the results indicated that RSF elicited diverse metabolic events in young pigs through its influences on nutrient and antioxidant metabolism, which might affect the performance and health in long-term feeding and also provide the venues for nutritional and processing interventions to improve the utilization of RSF in pigs.

Granulomatous enteritis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) associated with soya bean meal regardless of water dissolved oxygen level.

This study investigated morphological changes associated with soya bean meal-induced enteritis (SBMIE) in distal intestine (DI) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a soya bean meal (SBM)-based diet and exposed to normoxia or hypoxia created by optimal and low water flow rates, respectively. A 28-day adaption period was followed by a 42-day challenge period where 600 fish were subjected to dietary challenge and/or hypoxia. Twelve tanks each containing 50 juvenile trout were assigned randomly in triplicate to each treatment. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed pathological features that have not previously been described in association with SBMIE. Vacuolar degeneration of epithelial cells mainly at the base of mucosal folds, epithelial cysts, epithelial dysplasia, necrosis, shedding of necrotic cells, and granulomatous inflammation including infiltration of enlarged, sometimes finely vacuolated or "foamy" macrophages, multinucleated giant cells and increased proliferation of fibroblasts were observed. Acid-fast bacteria were not detected in enlarged macrophages; however, these cells contained AB-PAS- and sometimes cytokeratin-positive material, which was interpreted to be of epithelial/goblet cell origin. Hypoxia did not affect the morphological changes in DI. These results suggest that SBM was associated with a granulomatous form of enteritis in DI of rainbow trout regardless of water oxygen level.

Effects of dietary supplementation of coriander oil, in canola oil diets, on the metabolism of [1-(14)C] 18:3n-3 and [1-(14)C] 18:2n-6 in rainbow trout hepatocytes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of petroselinic acid, found in coriander oil, on the ability of rainbow trout hepatocytes to increase the production of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) from [1-(14)C] α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA) and to reduce the production of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6; ARA) from [1-(14)C] 18:2n-6. Addition of coriander oil increased the production of 22:6n-3, from [1-(14)C] 18:3n-3, at the 0.5 and 1.0% inclusion levels and reduced the conversion of [1-(14)C] 18:2n-6 to 20:4n-6. ß-Oxidation was significantly increased at the 1.5% inclusion level for [1-(14)C] 18:2n-6, however ß-oxidation for [1-(14)C] 18:3n-3 only showed an increasing trend. Acetate, a main breakdown product of fatty acids (FA) via peroxisomal ß-oxidation, decreased three-fold for [1-(14)C] 18:2n-6 and nearly doubled for [1-(14)C] 18:3n-3 when coriander was added at a 1.5% inclusion level. Acyl coenzyme A oxidase (ACO) enzyme activity showed no significant differences between treatments. Relative gene expression of ∆6 desaturase decreased with addition of coriander oil compared to the control. The addition of petroselinic acid via coriander oil to vegetable oil (VO) based diets containing no fishmeal (FM) or fish oil (FO), significantly increased the production of anti-inflammatory precursor 22:6n-3 (P=0.011) and decreased pro-inflammatory precursor 20:4n-6 (P=0.023) in radiolabelled hepatocytes of rainbow trout.

Feeding Jerusalem artichoke reduced skatole level and changed intestinal microbiota in the gut of entire male pigs.

Different levels of dried Jerusalem artichoke were fed to entire male pigs 1 week before slaughter. The objective was to investigate the effect on skatole level in the hindgut and in adipose tissue, as well as the effect on microflora and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the hindgut. Five experimental groups (n = 11) were given different dietary treatments 7 days before slaughtering: negative control (basal diet), positive control (basal diet + 9% chicory-inulin), basal diet + 4.1% Jerusalem artichoke, basal diet + 8.1% Jerusalem artichoke and basal diet + 12.2% Jerusalem artichoke. Samples from colon, rectum, faeces and adipose tissue were collected. Effect of dietary treatment on skatole, indole and androstenone levels in adipose tissue and on skatole, indole, pH, dry matter (DM), microbiota and SCFA in the hindgut was evaluated. Feeding increasing levels of Jerusalem artichoke to entire male pigs reduced skatole in digesta from colon and in faeces (linear, P < 0.01). There was also a tendency towards a decreased level of skatole in adipose tissue (linear, P = 0.06). Feeding Jerusalem artichoke decreased DM content in colon and faeces and pH in colon (linear, P < 0.01). Increasing levels of Jerusalem artichoke resulted in a reduced level of Clostridium perfringens in both colon and rectum (linear, P < 0.05) and a tendency towards decreased levels of enterobacteria in colon (linear, P = 0.05). Further, there was an increase in total amount of SCFA (linear, P < 0.05), acetic acid (linear, P < 0.05) and valerianic acid (linear, P < 0.01) in faeces. In conclusion, adding dried Jerusalem artichoke to diets for entire male pigs 1 week before slaughter resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in skatole levels in the hindgut and adipose tissue. The reduced skatole levels might be related to the decrease in C. perfringens and the increase in SCFA with subsequent reduction in pH.

Fatty acid composition, oxidative stability and sensory quality of meat from broiler chicken fed autolysate from bacteria grown on natural gas.

Bacterial autolysate, a down stream product of bacterial biomass grown on natural gas by mainly the methanotrophic bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus, was fed at 8% as is to broiler chickens from 1 to 35 days of age for studies of fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation and sensory quality of thigh meat stored frozen for 6 month at -18 °C or -80 °C. Lipid oxidation was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and volatile profile by dynamic headspace gas chromatography. Adding bacterial autolysate to diets did not affect the total content of saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids in thigh meat, but increased the levels of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 and C16:1n-7 and reduced the levels of C18:1n-7, C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 fatty acids. Feeding of bacterial autolysate tended (p < 0.08) to reduce TBARS of meat samples. Contents of volatiles were generally low, but feeding of bacterial autolysate significantly reduced levels of butanal (p < 0.04) and tended to reduce levels of hexanal (p < 0.11), pentanal (p < 0.09), 1-penten-3-ol (p < 0.08) and butanone (p < 0.08). Bacterial autolysate had no effects on sensory quality parameters of meat related to odour and flavour. To conclude, adding bacterial autolysate to diets did not affect the relative proportion of saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids, but reduced content of volatiles in frozen-stored broiler meat. The reduced susceptibility to lipid oxidation in broiler meat may be related to antioxidant properties of the bacterial autolysate.

Changes in texture, colour and fatty acid composition of male and female pig shoulder fat due to different dietary fat sources.

Two experiments with 72 slaughter pigs in each were conducted. Entire males and females were individually fed restricted. Palm kernel-, soybean- and fish-oil were used in varying combinations, giving different dietary fat levels (29-80g/kg) and iodine values ranging from 50 to 131. Shoulder fat was analysed for fatty acid composition (inner and outer layer), firmness and colour. A clear dose-response relationship was seen between fatty acids in diets and in shoulder fat. Interestingly, the very long chain n-3 fatty acids seemed to be deposited more efficiently when additional fat was included in the diet. Both high and low dietary iodine values changed towards less extreme iodine values in fat. Low-fat diets enhanced de novo synthesis of fatty acids. Males revealed a higher percentage of PUFA and a lower percentage of C18:1 and MUFA. Fat firmness, but not colour, was influenced by sex and dietary fat source.

Sensory quality of short- and long-term frozen stored pork products. Influence of diets varying in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and iodine value.

Predicting aspects of pork quality is becoming increasingly important from a nutritional as well as a technological point of view. Here, the influence of increasing PUFA and iodine values (IV) in feed and pigs on sensory qualities of short- and long-term frozen stored products was investigated. Entire male and female grower-finisher pigs were fed diets with iodine value products of 48 (LowIVP), 77 (MedIVP) or 99 (HighIVP) according to a restricted feeding scale. Ribs, chops and meat balls were short- (0-3 months) and long-term (6-9 months) frozen stored before sensory profiling. C18:2n-6 increased linearly in backfat with increased dietary inclusion. No negative effect on sensory quality was found in short-term stored products. After long-term storage the lean chops was the product most affected. Increasing the dietary IVP led to an increased rancid and total odour and flavour intensity, and to reduced meat and sour odour and flavour.

Oxidative stability and sensory quality of meat from broiler chickens fed a bacterial meal produced on natural gas.

Bacterial meal (BPM) produced from bacteria grown on natural gas is a feed source containing approximately 70% CP and 10% lipids with predominantly C16:0 and C16:1 fatty acids. The effect of increasing dietary levels (0, 40, 80, or 120 g/kg) of BPM on fatty acid composition, the profile of volatiles by dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and sensory quality of frozen-stored broiler chicken thigh meat was examined. Increasing levels of BPM increased (linear, P < 0.0001) the content of saturated fatty acids, tended (linear, P = 0.05) to increase the content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and tended (linear, P = 0.08) to decrease the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the meat. Feeding BPM reduced (linear, P ≤ 0.03) levels of the volatile lipid oxidation products butanal, hexanal, heptanal, and nonanal in the meat during frozen storage but had no significant effects on the sensory quality parameters related to odor and flavor. The presence of antioxidants in BPM may have reduced lipid oxidation in the meat. To conclude, adding BPM to diets reduced the formation of volatile lipid oxidation products during frozen storage of the broiler thigh meat. Dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was a more sensitive method in detecting early lipid oxidation compared with TBA reactive substances and sensory quality analyses in broiler thigh meat.

Growth performance and carcase quality in broiler chickens fed on bacterial protein grown on natural gas.

1. The effects of increasing concentrations (0, 40, 80 or 120 g/kg) of bacterial protein meal (BPM) and bacterial protein autolysate (BPA) grown on natural gas on growth performance and carcase quality in broiler chickens were examined. 2. Adding BPM to diets reduced feed intake and improved gain: feed from 0 to 21 d and overall to 35 d, but did not significantly affect weight gain compared to the soybean meal based control diet. 3. Increasing concentrations of BPA significantly reduced growth rate, feed intake, gain: feed, carcase weight and dressing percentage, but significantly increased carcase dry matter, fat and energy content. 4. Adding BPM to diets had no effect on viscosity of diets and jejunal digesta, and minor effects on litter quality, whereas BPA increased the viscosity of diets and jejunal digesta, improved litter quality at 21 d, but decreased litter quality at 32 d. 5. To conclude, broiler chickens performed better on a BPM product with intact proteins than on an autolysate with ruptured cell walls and a high content of free amino acids and low molecular-weight peptides.

Fish oil in feeds for entire male and female pigs: changes in muscle fatty acid composition and stability of sensory quality.

A total of 72 crossbred [(Norwegian Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] male and female growing-finishing pigs were restrictedly fed diets containing fish oil to study the fatty acid composition of Musculus longissimusdorsi and sensory quality of belly and neck. Six diets were used: two low-fat diets with or without 0.5% fish oil added, and four medium-fat diets with palm kernel oil to fish oil in ratios given as % inclusion: 4.1:0.0, 3.9:0.3, 3.6:0.5 and 3.4:0.7. Feeding fish oil gave a dose-dependent response between fatty acids in the diets and in the M.longissimusdorsi and increased the level of very long chain n-3 fatty acids, especially the C22:5n-3 (DPA). A more efficient n-3 fatty acids deposition was obtained when given as a medium-fat diet rather than the low-fat diet. Female pigs had a significant higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids and C18:1 than males suggesting a gender related difference in the delta-9-desaturase activity. No significant differences were found in sensory attributes for short-term stored neck and belly. For pigs fed the highest level of fish oil (0.7%) long-term stored (12 months at -80 degrees C, 6 months at -20 degrees C) belly showed a slight increase in fish oil flavour. After warmed-over treatment, fish oil odour and flavour as well as rancid flavour were increased in this group. The results suggest levels of dietary fish oil up to 0.5% produce a healthier meat fatty acid composition, without negative effects on sensory attributes, even in long-termed stored belly.

Changes in fatty acid composition and improved sensory quality of backfat and meat of pigs fed bacterial protein meal.

A total of 48 pigs (11.4 and 107.2 kg initial and final weight) were used to evaluate increasing dietary levels of bacterial protein meal (BPM) produced on natural gas (0, 50, 100, or 150 g kg(-1)) on fatty acid composition, sensory properties, and susceptibility of pork to lipid oxidation. Increasing levels of BPM to diets increased the content of C16:1 fatty acids in backfat and muscle and total monounsaturated fatty acids in muscle, but decreased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and iodine value in backfat and muscle. Pigs fed diets containing BPM had reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value in backfat and muscle, reduced intensity of odor and rancid odor and taste in pork after short-time storage, and reduced off-odor and off-taste after intermediate-time storage. To conclude, adding BPM to diets for pigs changed the fatty acid profile, improved the oxidative stability, and sensory quality of pork.

The effects of potassium diformate and its molecular constituents on the apparent ileal and fecal digestibility and retention of nutrients in growing-finishing pigs.

Five 43-kg barrows [(Dutch Landrace x Yorkshire) x Yorkshire] were fitted with steered ileocecal valve cannulas to compare the effects of K-diformate (KDF), a specifically conjugated salt vs its molecular constituents, namely, formic acid and K-formate, as acidifiers in lysine-deficient diets on the apparent ileal (ID) and fecal digestibility, retention of nutrients, and manure production. The animals were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments according to a 5 x 5 Latin square design as follows: 1) control-no acidifier; 2) 1% KDF (= 0.65% K-formate + 0.35% formic acid, or 0.7% [HCOO-] + 0.3% [K+]); 3) 0.65% K-formate (= 0.35% [HCOO-] + 0.3% [K+]); 4) 0.35% formic acid (= 0.35% [HCOO-]); and 5) 1.3% K-formate (= 0.7% [HCOO-] + 0.6% [K+]). Diets were formulated with barley, wheat, soybean meal, and canola meal as major ingredients, and provided all nutrients at adequate levels, except for lysine (24% less than estimated requirement). Feeding level was equal to 2.5 x maintenance requirement (MR) for ME (MR = 418 kJ ME x BW(-0.75)), and daily rations were given in two portions after mixing with water in a ratio of 1:2.5. Chromic oxide was used as an indigestible marker. No clinical health problems due to the dietary treatments were observed. Irrespective of the additive, there were no differences (P < or = 0.10) in the ID of DM, OM, CP, or essential amino acids compared to the control, except for phenylalanine (P < or = 0.05). Among nonessential AA, only the ID of tyrosine tended (P = 0.092) to increase (up to 3.9 percentage units). The fecal digestibility of ash and K were greater (P < or = 0.001) in pigs fed supplemental K, irrespective of its source. The greater intake and fecal digestibility of K corresponded with greater (P < or = 0.05) losses of K in urine. Body retention of N, Ca, total P, and K was similar (P > or = 0.10) among treatments. As estimated from a separate nonorthogonal analysis, supplemental K improved (P < or = 0.05) body N by 3.7 percentage units compared to the control. The results of this study do not provide a clear explanation for the improved growth performance reported previously with KDF and its molecular constituents, and further research on their in vivo mode of action will require methodological refinement, especially with regard to the efficiency of AA utilization.

Effect of K-diformate in starter diets on acidity, microbiota, and the amount of organic acids in the digestive tract of piglets, and on gastric alterations.

The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of K-diformate on the intraluminal pH, microbial composition in digesta and feces, organic acids along the digestive tract, and alterations of the gastric epithelium of pigs. Pigs (n = 36) weaned at 28 d of age were allotted to two groups and fed without (control diet) or with 1.8% supplemental K-diformate. Fecal samples were taken from the rectum on d 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 postweaning. Half of the animals from each group were killed on d 7 and the other half on d 29 postweaning. Growth performance was not different for both groups (P > or = 0.73). The gastric epithelium was not negatively affected by K-diformate (P = 0.25). Potassium-diformate decreased (P < or = 0.04) or tended to decrease (P < or = 0.10) the counts of total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts in feces and digesta samples from the stomach, distal small intestine, cecum, and middle segment of the colon. The pH along the gastrointestinal tract of piglets was not affected by K-diformate (P > or = 0.30). On d 7, the concentration of lactic acid along the gastrointestinal tract was similar with both diets (P = 0.15). On d 29, the concentrations of lactic acid tended to be lower along the small intestine (P < or = 0.08) and the stomach (P = 0.11) of the pigs fed K-diformate. Formic acid in digesta was detected at significant levels only in the distal segment of the small intestine of the control pigs (from 4 to 11 mmol/kg of wet digesta), whereas considerable amounts were measured in the stomach (from 23 to 40 mmol/kg of wet digesta) and all segments of the small intestine (from 7 to 25 mmol/kg of wet digesta) in the K-diformate-fed pigs on both days. On d 7, pigs fed the K-diformate diet had a tendency (P < or = 0.08) to have higher concentrations of organic acids (acetic + propionic + butyric) in the digesta of the distal small intestine, cecum, and proximal colon. On d 29, both groups had similar concentrations of these acids, irrespective of the segment of the gastrointestinal tract (P = 0.95). Our study showed that the addition of K-diformate to a starter diet for piglets decreased total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, and yeasts in feces and in digesta from various segments of the gastrointestinal tract, without affecting the gastric or intestinal pH.

Effect of dietary formates on growth performance, carcass traits, sensory quality, intestinal microflora, and stomach alterations in growing-finishing pigs.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of adding salts of formic acid to diets for growing-finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 72 pigs (23.1 kg and 104.5 kg initial and final BW) were used to evaluate the effect of Ca/Na-formate and K-diformate on performance and carcass traits. Treatments were organized in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement with two feeding regimens (limit and semi-ad libitum feeding) and three diets (control, .85% Ca/Na-formate, and .8% K-diformate). No significant feeding regime x diet interaction was found. The K-diformate diet increased overall ADG of pigs compared with the control and Ca/Na-formate diets, but had no effect on ADFI or gain/feed (G/F) ratio. Neither K-diformate nor Ca/Na-formate had any effect on carcass lean or fat content. In Exp. 2, 10 limit-fed pigs (24.3 kg and 85.1 kg initial and final BW) were used to study the effect of K-diformate on performance and sensory quality of pork. Adding .8% K-diformate to diets increased ADG (P < .13) and G/F (P < .04), but had no effect on sensory quality of the pork or content of formate in liver, kidney, or muscle tissue of pigs. In Exp. 3, 96 limit-fed pigs (27.1 kg and 105 kg initial and final BW) were used to determine the effect of adding K-diformate to diets on performance, carcass traits, and stomach keratinization and(or) lesions. Adding K-diformate (0, .6, or 1.2%) to diets increased ADG and ADFI (linear P < .01). The K-diformate reduced the percentage of carcass fat (linear P < .03) and fat area in the cutlet (linear P < .09) and increased percentage lean in the ham (linear P < .01), flank (linear P < .02), loin (linear P < .09), and neck and shoulder (linear P < .09). The K-diformate had no negative effect on stomach alterations. In Exp. 3, the concentration of coliform bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract was evaluated in eight control and eight 1.2% K-diformate-fed pigs. The K-diformate reduced the number of coliforms in the duodenum (P < .03), jejunum (P < .02), and rectum (P < .10) of pigs. In conclusion, K-diformate improved growth performance and carcass quality of growing-finishing pigs, whereas Ca/Na-formate had no effect. K-diformate had no adverse effect on sensory quality of pork or on stomach alteration scores.

Risks of spontaneous injury and extraction of an active fixation pacemaker lead: report of the Accufix Multicenter Clinical Study and Worldwide Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Telectronics Accufix pacing leads were recalled in November 1994 after 2 deaths and 2 nonfatal injuries were reported. This multicenter clinical study (MCS) of patients with Accufix leads was designed to determine the rate of spontaneous injury related to the J retention wire and results of lead extraction. METHODS AND RESULTS: The MCS included 2589 patients with Accufix atrial pacing leads that were implanted at or who were followed up at 12 medical centers. Patients underwent cinefluoroscopic imaging of their lead every 6 months. The risk of J retention wire fracture was approximately 5.6%/y at 5 years and 4.7%/y at 10 years after implantation. The annual risk of protrusion was 1.5%. A total of 40 spontaneous injuries were reported to a worldwide registry (WWR) that included data from 34 672 patients (34 892 Accufix leads), including pericardial tamponade (n=19), pericardial effusion (n=5), atrial perforation (n=3), J retention wire embolization (n=4), and death (n=6). The risk of injury was 0.02%/y (95% CI, 0.0025 to 0. 072) in the MCS and 0.048%/y (95% CI, 0.035 to 0.067) in the WWR. A total of 5299 leads (13%) have been extracted worldwide. After recall in the WWR, fatal extraction complications occurred in 0.4% of intravascular procedures (16 of 4023), with life-threatening complications in 0.5% (n=21). Extraction complications increased with implant duration, female sex, and J retention wire protrusion. CONCLUSIONS: Accufix pacing leads pose a low, ongoing risk of injury. Extraction is associated with substantially higher risks, and a conservative management approach is indicated for most patients.

Effect of trimethylamine oxide and betaine in swine diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and sensory quality of pork.

Two growth experiments and one digestibility experiment were conducted to study the effect of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and betaine in swine diets. In Exp. 1, 36 limit-fed pigs averaging 19.1 kg in initial weight were used to study the effect of adding TMAO at 10 g/kg of feed or betaine at an equivalent level of methyl groups (10.5 g/kg feed) to a high-fat (11.3% ether extract) basal diet. Dietary addition of TMAO increased ADG by 61 g/d, reduced number of days to market by 8.3 d (P<.02), and tended (P<.09) to improve gain/feed (G/F) compared with the control diet. Betaine had no effect on growth performance of pigs. Adding TMAO or betaine to diets had no effect on percent carcass fat, percent carcass lean, or dressing percentage. Dietary supplementation of TMAO reduced (P<.05) plasma triacylglycerol level (TAG) compared with the control diet. There was no effect of dietary TMAO or betaine on sensory quality characteristics of pork. In Exp. 2, 48 ad libitum-fed pigs averaging 21.7 kg initial BW and 104.7 kg final BW were used to determine the effect of adding low and intermediate levels of TMAO (1, 2, or 5 g/kg) to diets. Adding 1 g of TMAO increased G/F (P<.01) compared with control pigs. When using orthogonal contrasts, adding 2 g of TMAO reduced (P<.05) P2 backfat thickness and tended to increase (P<.09) lean percentage compared with the control diet. Trimethylamine oxide gave a quadratic effect (P<.05) on plasma TAG levels. Adding 1 and 2 g of TMAO increased plasma TAG, but 5 g of TMAO decreased it compared with the control diet. In Exp. 3, 12 barrows of 42.3 kg average initial BW and 50.0 kg final BW were used to investigate the effect of supplementing diets with 1 g of TMAO and 1.27 g of betaine/kg of feed on apparent total tract nutrient digestibility. The addition of TMAO increased (P<0.03) apparent total tract digestibility of fat (HCl-EE). Betaine had no such effect. Adding TMAO to diets influenced growth performance and carcass quality in a dose-dependent manner.

Determination of 3D positions of pacemaker leads from biplane angiographic sequences.

In vitro and in vivo analyses of stress on pacemaker leads and their components during the heart cycle have become especially important because of incidences of failure of some of these mechanical components. For stress analyses, the three-dimensional (3D) position, shape, and motion of the pacemaker leads must be known accurately at each time point during the cardiac cycle. We have developed a method for determination of the in vivo 3D positions of pacemaker leads during the entire heart cycle. Sequences of biplane images of patients with pacemakers were obtained at 30 frames/s for each projection. The sequences usually included at least two heart cycles. After patient imaging, biplane images of a calibration object were obtained from which the biplane imaging geometry was determined. The centerlines of the leads and unique, identifiable points on the attached electrodes were indicated manually for all acquired images. Temporal interpolation of the lead and electrode data was performed so that the temporal nonsynchronicity of the image acquisition was overcome. Epipolar lines, generated from the calculated geometry, were employed to identify corresponding points along the leads in the pairs of biplane images for each time point. The 3D positions of the lead and electrodes were calculated from the known geometry and from the identified corresponding points in the images. Using multiple image sets obtained with the calibration object at various orientations, the precision of the calculated rotation matrix and of the translation vector defining the imaging geometry was found to be approximately 0.7 degree and 1%, respectively. The 3D positions were reproducible to within 2 mm, with the error lying primarily along the axis between the focal spot and the imaging plane. Using data obtained by temporally downsampling to 15 frames/s, the interpolated data were found to lie within approximately 2 mm of the true position for most of the heart cycle. These results indicate that, with this technique, one can reliably determine pacemaker lead positions throughout the heart cycle, and thereby it will provide the basis for stress analysis on pacemaker leads.